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The Little Hawk Owl. 
T his Bird is rather bigger than a Sparrow-Hawk, having much of the Air of 
a Hawk from the Length of its Wings and Tail; but the Form of the Head 
and Feet declare it to be near of Kin to the Ow/Kind. I am told by my Friend, 
who brought two of their fluffed Skins to me. that they fly and prey at high Noon, 
which is contrary to the Nature of moft of the Owl Kind. 
The Bill is like a Hawk’s, but without Angles on the Sides, of a bright, reddifti 
Yellow : I am told, that the Eyes are of the fame Colour ; the Spaces round the Eyes 
are White, a little lhaded with Brown, and dallied with fmall longifh dulky Spots ; 
the out Sides of thefe Spaces towards the Ears- are encompafled with Black, without 
that again is a little White : The Bill is covered almoft with light-coloured briftly Fea- 
thers, as in moft of the Owl Kind : The Top of the Head is of a very dark Brown, 
fpotted finely with regular little round Spots of \Vhite : Round the Neck, and down 
to the Middle of the Back is dark Brown, the Feathers feeming to be tipp’d with 
White ; the Wings are of a Brown Colour, the Quills and covert Feathers being fine- 
ly fpotted on their outer Webs with White; the three Quills next the Body are not 
fpotted, but have whitilh Tips ; the Feathers between the Back and Wing are painted 
with broad tranfverfe Bars of Brown and White ; the inner Coverts of the Wing are 
white, with tranfverfe Lines of Brown ; the Quills within Side are dark Aft-colour, 
with white Spots on both Webs ; the prime Quill is fpotlefs within, and without on 
its outer Web, and hath hardly any of that refleaing back of the Points of the outer 
AYeb, as is obferved in Owls* The fame may be obferved of the great white Owl 
before defcribed ; the Rump and covert Feathers of the Tail are dark Brown, tranf- 
verfly barr’d, and mixed with a lighter Brown ; the Tail on the upper Side is dark 
Brown, and aft-col cur’d beneath, compofed of twelve Feathers,^ the middlernoft 
longer by two Inches than the very outermoft ; it is barr’d a-crofs with feven or eight 
tranfverfe narrow Bars of light Brown : The Breaft, Belly, Thighs, and Coverts un- 
der the Tail, are White, barr’d a-crofs with narrow brown Lines in a regular Man- 
ner : The Legs and Feet are wholly cover’d with fine foft Feathers, of the Colour 
of the Belly, but the variegating Lines fmaller ; the Claws are ftarp, crooked, and 
pointed of a dark-brown Colour. There was another of this Species brought with 
this, which was a little bigger, and differ’d fomething in Colour ; it had all the fame 
Marks, but not fo ftrong and bright ; I fuppofe it was the Female of this. 
Thefe were brought from Hudfon’s Bay by my Friend Mr. Light, ^ where its na- 
tive Name is Coparacoch ; it preys on white Partridges,^ and^ other Birds ; and is, by 
my Friend’s Report, fo bold as to attend near a Fowler with his Gun, and will fome- 
times carry off a Partridge after it is ftot, before the Sportfman can reach his Game. 
There hath been no former Account, or Figure, given of this Bird that I know of. 
He 
